March 2009

Since many of society’s most pressing problems will involve technology as part of the solution, scientists and engineers must have a larger voice in developing federal, state, and local policies to ensure sound decision.  This is especially true in rapidly growing areas like sustainability.  That’s the view of Diana Glawe, associate professor of engineering science at Trinity University, who recently completed a fellowship at the Sustainable Facilities Practices Branch of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  She spent three semesters in Washington D.C. as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest federation of scientific and engineering societies, with more than 120,000 members.

“I was able to see how policy and politics are two very different things,” she says, adding that by seeing the inner workings of politics, she also was able to experience how important it is to communicate scientific information in a useful way to decision-makers. The first-hand knowledge of how science and technology policy is formulated is a valuable tool, now that she has returned to Trinity.

Professor Glawe will share her expertise with the Trinity University Sustainability Task Force and with a committee looking at the feasibility of a new science and technology building. She also plans to share her knowledge with students through engineering science curriculum, and possibly through future interdisciplinary courses. As part of Trinity’s accreditation by ABET, the Engineering Accreditation Commission, engineering science curriculum must, among other criteria, teach students about engineering solutions in a global, economic, environmental, and societal context.  This approach to the challenges of engineering supports the type of thought that goes into prudent policies related to science and technology.

“It’s important for engineering and science students to be aware of the broad implications of various technologies because they (the students) will inevitably contribute to the fate of the planet and those that inhabit it by what they develop, design, and promote,” she says.  For example, engineers can design a widget based on innovative technology that outperforms other widgets at a competitive price, but if that widget has a significant negative impact on the environment and/or society, it is likely not the best option. 

During her fellowship, Professor Glawe worked with architects and engineers who plan and manage EPA facilities projects, making sure they comply with federal requirements. Because the EPA’s mission is to protect human health and to safeguard the natural environment—air, water, and land—upon which life depends,
EPA has “led by example” and gone beyond the minimum federal requirements.  This progressive attitude enabled Professor Glawe to explore a broad range of green building technologies and related policy during her tenure in D.C. 

Courses Taught:

• First Year Seminar, including “Freedom and Responsibility with Respect to Technology”
• Engineering Science Mechanics I and II
• Engineering Science Design III, IV, VII, and VIII
• Mechanics of Continuous Media

Other Research of Note:

• Past research areas include laser-based flow diagnostics in supersonic flow at the Air Force Research Lab and growth of biomimetic silica nanostructures in collaboration with a biotech group.
• Current focus is on sustainable building systems, policies, standards, benchmarking, measurements, metrics, and green building certification.
• Advisor of sustainability related senior design projects: solar hot water heating, condensate collection, compressed earth blocks, ozone monitoring system, and solar power demonstration.

© 2009 Trinity University